Opinion: Just what is in the public interest?

Edinburgh South MP Nigel Griffiths has had a rough few days after the News of the World exposed an extramarital affair. It is clear from the article that the paper was desperate for a public interest angle.

This is important - NotW knows that after the Max Mosley case, it is no
longer good enough to find someone cheating. Exposing a person's
infidelity could very easily lead to an expensive trip to the High Court
and an opportunity for Justice Eady to build further his privacy
law.

Griffiths' position as an MP, it could be argued, makes him fair game -
sufficient for a public interest defence - but NotW really made sure.
Not only was the 'louse' Griffiths unfaithful, but his infidelity took
place in the House of Commons. They even dredged through the MPs' code
of conduct to find a spurious breach, suggesting he had brought the
Commons into disrepute.

The public interest search went even further. Not only was Griffiths
unfaithful; not only was it in the House of Commons; but it took place
on Armistice Day! Now that truly is a public interest case as everyone
knows it is unpatriotic to have intercourse on a day of remembrance.

In reality, one of two things happened. Either the paper paid someone to
seduce a middle-aged man, or a woman seduced him and then sold her story
(and pictures). And one has to wonder which of these is in the public
interest.

Whatever problems there are with Griffiths' state of mind or his
marriage that led to his infidelity are now multiplied by this national
exposure - but that is just collateral damage. NotW will see no public
interest in compassion.

Griffiths himself seems to have had a 'head in the sand' approach when
he should perhaps have been more proactive, maybe by giving an interview
to the Saturday edition of the Daily Mirror to spike the NotW guns. You
might be laughing at Griffiths' embarrassment now, but take a pause to
consider how NotW might find your life publicly interesting.

Alex Hilton is a Labour parliamentary candidate and founder of political
blogs Labourhome and Recess Monkey